Otomatic
Otomatic SPAAG | |
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Type | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun |
Place of origin | Italy |
Specifications | |
Mass | 46.0 tonnes (101,400 lb) |
Length | Hull: 7.27 metres (23 ft 10 in) |
Width | 3.71 m (12 ft 2 in) |
Crew | 4 |
Main armament | 1× Otobreda 76 mm derived autocannon with 70 rounds |
Engine | MTU MB 837 Ka-500 diesel engine 750 hp (560 kW) |
Power/weight | 16.3 hp / 1 tonne |
Suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
Operational range | 500 kilometres (310 mi) |
Maximum speed | 65 km/h (40 mph) |
The Otomatic was an Italian prototype self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) built by OTO-Melara. It combined the chassis of a Leopard 1 or OF-40 tank with a new turret mounting the Otobreda 76 mm gun along with associated search and targeting radars and their fire control systems. OTO Melara offered it as a long-range SPAAG that could outperform systems like the Gepard and similar versions with the British Marksman turret that mounted much smaller 35 mm guns[1].
The gun could also be useful against lighter armored vehicles or older generation tanks. However, the Otomatic was never put into production because the widespread presence of anti-aircraft missiles reduced the need for a long-range AA gun on the modern battlefield.
OTO-Melara attempted to revive the concept with the AMRAD ("Artillery Multi-Role Area Defense"), which had a much lighter mounting, and which was intended for use on a variety of wheeled vehicles. In order to lower the weight of the system, the turret's armor was reduced and the radars were removed and replaced with an optical-only aiming system cued by a remote radar. Despite these changes, the AMRAD failed to sell[2].
External links
External image | |
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Otomatic SPAAG | |
The Otomatic SPAAG |